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Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

:  November/December 2010

Your rating: None Average: 4 (118 votes)

This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.


READER'S COMMENT:
"This is a great recipe. The flavor is very fresh and the cajun seasoning makes it just a lil spicy! I doubled -everything- except the chicken since a box of pasta is usually 14-16 oz. I used bowtie pasta which made it look a little bit...
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time:

Total Time:

Nutrition Profile

Low calorie | High fiber | Low saturated fat | Low cholesterol | High potassium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | Diabetes appropriate |

View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces whole-wheat fusilli or rotini
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (see Tip)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions for garnish

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Preparation

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, bell pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning and pepper. Cook stirring, until the onion and bell pepper are beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
  3. Add flour and stir to coat. Add tomatoes and their juice; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream.
  4. Stir the pasta into the sauce. Serve sprinkled with scallions, if desired.

Tips & Notes

  • Tip: We used a Cajun spice blend that contains salt. If you have a blend without salt (check the ingredients label), season the sauce with salt to taste.

Nutrition

Per serving: 329 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 3 g mono ); 50 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 6 g fiber; 656 mg sodium; 691 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (53% daily value), Vitamin A (23% dv), Iron (21% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (20% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat


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Recipe Categories

Style/Theme
Entertaining, casual
Everyday favorites
Kid-friendly
Quick (total 30 min. or less)
Budget
Comfort foods
Ease of Preparation
Easy
Total Time
30 minutes or less
Servings
6
Type of Dish
Main dish, combination meal
Main dish, poultry
Pasta
Main Ingredient
Chicken
Preparation/ Technique
Saute
Meal/Course
Dinner

Ethnic/Regional
Cajun-Creole
Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Health & Diet Considerations
Diabetes appropriate
Low calorie
Low cholesterol
Low saturated fat
Heart healthy
Healthy weight
High fiber
High potassium
Holiday
Mardi Gras
Super Bowl
Publication
November/December 2010
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